Sewage control system



Nov, 3, 1936. F. B. FILLO SEWAGE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Dec. 3, 1934 Francis B.Fillo Patented Nov. 3, 1936 I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWAGE CONTROL SYSTEM Francis B. Fillo, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,667 14 Claims. (01.182-26) This invention relates to a sewage control sewer pipe H. In order to prevent flooding and system and particularly to a means for preventdamage by such backing up of the sewage, a ing the backing up of water or of sewage from a safety device or seal, preferably in the form of main sewer into a feeder sewer. a gate valve 13, is installed above or ahead of During heavy storms and cloudbursts, backthe check valve l2 in the main building sewer ll. ing up of sewage from street sewer mains through A sewer riser, designated at I4, empties into back water traps and into the basements of the building sewer pipe H, and the building buildings quite frequently occurs despite the use sewer pipe II is extended as at Hi to accommoof back water traps in this connection. Safety date other sewer risers.

devices have been improvised in the past in the Extending upwardly from the gate valve l3 form of liquid level controls or' other devices is a valve stem l6 which is raised and lowered by of this kind using a float, but these have not means of a lever I! through a slidable connecproved satisfactory because of the heavy fortion l8, said ev n being pivoted w y eign matter prevailing in the sewage which into a support I!) secured to the valve l3. Thelever terferes with th operation of th fl ats and I1 is oscillated about its pivot to raise and lower 5 renders such devices just as ineffective as the the Valve stem and consequently to p back water traps commonly employed in these and 01088 the V ve y means f a c nnectsewage systems ing rod connected at one end to one end of It is, therefore, an object of this invention to the lever l1 and at the other end to a crank disc 20 provide an eflicient Safety device or seal t 2|. An electric motor designated at 22 rotates solutely prevent th backing p of sewage in a the crank disc 2| through 180 to open and, close sewage system, which safety device or seal is the valve Such meter being v t a not affected by foreign matter present i the and having the usual limit stops to-prevent oversewage. travel of the motor.

Another object is to provide an electrically xte d n t & tab e C du Opening in 2:5 operated safety device or seal responsive to the e ot a e conductors Z3, and 25." Conheight of the sewage in the system. ductors 24 and 25 are connected to contacts 26 A further object-is to provide a-valve that is n 1, e p v ly, whi h r ng d alterelectrically operated according to the height of hately y Switeh arm 8- A eondueter 29 eOna liquid in a system. nects the switch arm 28 to a line wire 3|, and :29

, A still further object is to provide a control the conductor 23 is connected to another line wire system of the type disclosed hereinafter embodythe line Wires d conducting ing a grid glow tube to control a valve according ct c ty t e yste t a a to changes in a. liquid level. When the switch arm. 28 engages contact 121,

Other objects and advantages will become apthe motor 22 is energized tos p th lve 3, 35 parent to those skilled in the art by reference to as shown n the w an wh t wi ch the accompanying specification and single drawarm B e ages the contact 26, the' motor is ing which diagrammatically illustrates the preenergized 110 Close t e Va e: i

ferred form of myinvention. The relay 35 has a core. 36,29. coil 31 enclosing Briefly, the invention contemplatesa valvel3 t C e d-"8' f e 38 f r supp rt that is opened and closed'by an electric motor coil 31, the frame 38*being- :groundedas at.

22 which iscontrolled bymeans of a-relay 35. The core is mechanically. connected;to the ThereIay 35 is in turn-controlled bya-grid glow switch arm 28 by meansof a; connectingjrod tfl tube 46 accordingto whetheror notanvelectrode so that when the coil 3l is-senergizedgthe core 36 :v

--assembly ii is contacted by. sewage in-a sewer is attracted to the l'e'ft tor movej'the sw tcha1fm 45 "pipe H. '1, i w "from contact-"21 into engagement withcon- A sewer main ora-istreetsewer is designated iat tact: and when*thje -coil-31 is deenergized the In and is adapted to receive -v a l main building switj arm 2a-iemove mm thQQCOIXtaEt ZG into '1sewer,;l Located-"in the building sewernl l is a "lengageinent-witl'i th nta t-21 by 50in means;v 5 0- onventionalzcheck.valve;l2which iintejnded to such asa' springinot v ,1:

pprevent backing-qiip; of' sewage throughith e" build- '1 f4 1 i designates geri'rally ="astep-i1p.. tr nsformer ing sewer pipei ll nsppinted oiit above, how- "havih'" w ammy cou t: which i'sfconnected ;to i ne er;s eheeh k them v'let .iioribe au eo ime: h ii i o du c s foreign matter in the sewage it may fail to close, 43 and, espec't'ively, nd'a secondaryicoil li; allowing sewage to back up through the building A multi-electrode' discharge tube is designated 55 generally at 45 and preferably comprises a triple electrode glow tube, often referred to as a grid glow tube, having an anode 41, a cathode 48, and a control electrode 49, sometimes termed a grid. Grid glow tubes of this type are old in the art, and a specific description of the structure and operation thereof is not considered necessary, it being sufficient to state that as long as the control electrode or grid 49 has a high negative charge, current cannot flow from the anode 41 to the cathode 45, but when the control electrode 49 is grounded to reduce the high negative charge, current is allowed to flow from the anode 41 to the cathode 49.-

The cathode 49 is connected to one end of the secondary 45 of the transformer 4| by means of conductors 59 and 5|. The anode 41 is connected to one end of the coil 31 of the relay 35 by means of the conductors 52 and 53, and the other end of the coil 31 is connected to the other end of the secondary 45 of the transformer 4| by means of conductors 54 and 55. Located between the conductors 52 and 55 in a manner to partially shunt the coil 31 of the relay 35 is a condenser 55, the purpose of which will be pointed out more specifically hereafter.

The control electrode or grid 49 of the grid glow tube 45 is connected by means of a conductor 55 to a contact 52 of the electrode assem bly 5| which is located in the top of the building sewer pipe |l between the street sewer Ill and the check valve l2 and insulated therefrom by means of an insulator 53. Because of the insulator 53, a high negative charge is maintained on the grid 49, but due to the fact that the insulator 53 is not a perfect insulator, the high negative charge might drain off from the grid 49 because of leakage through the insulator 53 between the contact 52 and the pipe II, which pipe is effectively grounded. In order to compensate for this slight amount of leakage, an impedance preferably in the form of a variable condenser 55 is interposed between the cathode 48 and the grid 49 by means of a conductor 59, whereby the high negative charge may be maintained on the grid or control electrode 49.

The operating circuit for the relay 35 which operates the switch 25 is completed from the secondary 45 of the transformer 4| through conductor 55, conductor 54, coil 31 of relay 35, conduetor 53, conductor 52, anode 41, the gap between anode 41 and cathode 45, cathode 45, conductor 55, and conductor 5| back to the secondary 45 of the transformer 4|. As long as the control electrode 49 is insulated so that a high negative charge is maintained onthe control electrode 49, no current can flow from the anode 41 to the cathode 45, and the above circuit is therefore i open, and the invention is shown in such position in the drawing. If the contact 52 is grounded as by sewage backing up and engaging it, the high negative charge is drawn off from the control electrode 49, the tube 45 breaks down and glows,.and current is allowed to flow from anode 41 to cathode 45 thereby closing the above cirof the transformer 4| and the cathode 45 because of the existing potential in coil 45 and because of the effective ground at the lower end of coil 45. Also, a high potential with respect to ground is maintained on the grid 49 which results in a negative charge on the grid 49 during the operating half of the cycle because of the relatively low impedance of the condenser and the relatively high impedance of the insulator 53 of the sewer electrode 5|.

Assuming that the parts are in the positions shown in the drawing, the valve I3 is open, and sewage is flowing from the building through the building sewer pipe past the check valve l2 and emptying into the main sewer l5, and the valve is maintained in the open position because sewage is not contacting the contact 52 of the electrode 5| in the pipe ll. Should the sewage in the main sewer ||I back up and reach a level so as to engage contact 52 of the electrode II. the high negative charge is drained off from the control electrode 49 which allows current to flow from the anode 41 to the cathode 45 to energize the coil 31 of the relay 35 to move the switch 29 from contact 21 into engagement with the contact 25 to energize the motor 22 and to close the valve l3 by means of the linkage interposed between the motor 22 and the valve l3. With the valve l3 closed under such circumstances if there should be any leakage through the check valve |2 either because of poor seating or because of foreign matter in the sewage preventing the check valve |2 from closing, or for any other reasons, sewage is prevented from backing up through the building sewer pipe into the building.

The variable impedance 59 interposed between the cathode 48 of the control electrode 49 serves to desensitize the glow tube 45 in the manner pointed out above so that current may flow from the cathode 49 to the anode 41 to open the valve 3 only when sewage engages the contact 52 of the electrode 5|.

Due to the fact that current used for the power means is alternating current and that the glow tube 46 passes current in only one direction therethrough, the coil 31 of the core 35 would ordinarily be subjected to an extremely irregular pulsating direct current, In order to smooth out the pulsations of this pulsating direct current on the relay 35, the condenser 55 is interposed between the conductors 52 and 55 across the coil 31 which acts in the nature of a capacity to lower the high points of the pulsations and to raise the low points whereby a fairly even pull on the core 35 of the relay 35 is maintained.

From the above, it is seen that I have invented an efficient safety device or seal which absolutely prevents the backing up of sewage in a sewage system, which safety device or seal is not affected in any manner whatsoever by foreign matter present in the sewage.

valve, and means connected to said electrode for 7 controlling said valve whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said electrode.

2. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, an electrically operated valve in said feeder sewer, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means connected to said electrode including a relay for controlling said valve whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said electrode.

3. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, an electrically operated valve in said feeder sewer, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means for controlling said valve including a multi-electrode discharge tube having its control electrode connected to said sewer electrode whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said sewer electrode.

4. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, an electrically operated valve in said feeder sewer, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means for controlling said valve including a triple electrode glow tube having its control electrode connected to said sewer elec trode, and an impedance electrically connected to two of the electrodes of the glow tube for desensitizing said glow tube whereby said valve is closed only when the sewage contacts said sewer electrode.

5. In a sewage system of the class described, a

main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a valve movable to open and closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, an electric motor for opening and closing-said valve, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means connected to said electrode for energizing said motor whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said electrode.

6. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a valve movable to open and closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, an electric motor for opening and closing said valve, a switch for controlling the operation of said motor, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means connected to said electrode for operating said switch whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said electrode.

7. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a

- valve movable to open and. closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, an electric motor for opening and closing said valve, a switch for controlling the operationpf said motor, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means for operating said switch including a multi-electrode discharge tube having its control electrode connected to said sewer electrode whereby said valve is closed when sewage contacts said sewer electrode.

8. In a sewage system of the class described, a

main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a

valve movable to open and closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, an electric motor for opening and closing said valve, a switch for controlling the operation of said motor, an electrode in one of said sewers below said valve, and means for operating said switch including a triple electrode glow tube having its control electrode connected to said sewer electrode, and an impedance electrically connected to two of the electrodes of the glow tube for desensitizing said glow tube whereby said valve is closed only when the sewage contacts said sewer electrode.

9. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a valve movable to open and closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, a check valve in said feeder sewer between said valve and said main sewer,.and means associated with said feeder sewer between said check valve and said main sewer for opening and closing said first valve.

10. In a sewage system of the class described, a main sewer, a feeder sewer emptying therein, a. valve movable to open and closed positions and located in said feeder sewer, a check valve in said feeder sewer between said valve and said main sewer, and means associated with said feeder according to the height of sewage below saidv check valve.

11. In' a sewage system having a main sewer and a feeder sewer, an electrically operated valve in said feeder sewer and movable to open and closed positions, a check valve in said feeder sewer between said electrically operated valve and said main sewer, and means including an electrode associated with said feeder sewer between said check valve and said main sewer to close said electrically operated valve when sewage contacts said electrode.

12. In a system of the class described, a liquid containing means,'a pipe emptying therein, an electrically operated valve in said pipe, an electrode in said liquid containing means, and means for controlling said valve including a multi-electrode discharge tube having its control electrode connected to said electrode in said liquid containing means whereby said valve is closed when liquid contacts said electrode in said liquid containing means.

13. In a system of the class described, a liquid containing means, an electrically operated valve controlling the supply of liquid into said containing means, an electrode in said containing means to be engaged by the liquid therein, and means associated with said electrode and saidelectrically operated valve to close said valve when the liquid engages said electrode.

14. In a system of the class described, a liquidcontaining means, an electrically operated valve controlling the supply of liquid into said containing means, an electrode in said containing means to be engaged by the liquid therein, and electrical relay means associated with said electrode and said electrically operated valve to close said valve when the liquid engages said electrode.

FRANCIS 3. mm. 

